A dedicated matchmaking event, infused with the unique bond of alumni ties, kicked off in Tianfu New Area on September 10th. More than 30 business leaders who are Fudan University alumni gathered in Chengdu, including representatives from several listed companies such as Wanhua Chemical, AIM VACCINE, Yipinhong, Deye Shares, Zhimingda, and Nuotai Biotech.
Unlike a superficial tour, these entrepreneurs came with an industrial perspective, aiming to personally assess Chengdu's industrial landscape and explore potential avenues for mutual cooperation. The event was co-hosted by the Chengdu Municipal Financial Office, Fudan University's School of International Finance, the Chengdu Private Economy Development Promotion Center, and the Tianfu New Area Management Committee. During the event, representatives visited the Tianfu New Area Planning Exhibition Hall, the Tianfu Fund Specialty Town, key enterprises, and a smart computing center for on-site research.
This in-depth visit refreshed many entrepreneurs' pre-conceived notions of both Chengdu and the new area. Zhou Yan, Chairman and CEO of AIM VACCINE, felt this profoundly. Before arriving, his impression of Chengdu was one of "leisure, comfort, and a relaxed, vibrant atmosphere," but after walking through the area's various facilities and key companies, he offered a new perspective: "Chengdu is warm and hospitable, and Tianfu New Area is down-to-earth and robust."
As a Hong Kong-listed enterprise, AIM VACCINE is the world's largest manufacturer of hepatitis B vaccines, the second-largest producer of rabies vaccines, and a pioneer in China's mRNA innovative vaccine and cancer vaccine sectors. Zhou Yan believes Tianfu New Area's core competitiveness lies in its high-quality, complete industrial ecosystem. This is especially evident in the life and health industry chain, which forms a closed loop from basic research, innovative development, and pilot-scale trials to industrial application. This fully aligns with the long-cycle, heavy-support, and ecosystem-dependent characteristics of the biomedical industry.
Nuotai Biotech, which focuses on independent R&D and custom development of peptide drugs and small-molecule chemicals, gained genuine insight into Chengdu's forward-thinking approach to fostering new quality productive forces and advancing industrial innovation through visits to local companies like Wofei Changkong. Tong Ziquan, Chairman of Nuotai Biotech, noted that Zhu Yi, Chairman of Sichuan-listed company Baili Tianheng, is a fellow Fudan alumni who has seen his company thrive in Chengdu. He believes that with its solid industrial base, Chengdu has a strong capacity to drive growth across central and western China. Nuotai will continue to monitor opportunities in the city and is ready to initiate deeper collaboration once conditions allow.
Participating enterprises from different sectors also offered varied assessments based on their own development needs. Deye Shares, a leader in the optical storage sector, has set its sights on Chengdu's vast development potential. Chang Zhongzheng, General Manager of Deye Shares' cloud platform, stated that the visit showcased the scientific achievements of Guoxing Aerospace, the computing power layout of the smart computing center, and the intelligent manufacturing demonstration at the Siemens lighthouse factory, highlighting Chengdu's comprehensive industrial categories and forward-looking layout. "In the east, land is scarce; in the west, there is plenty of space with natural advantages—the room for growth is immense," he said. The company plans to continue its investigations in Chengdu and actively seek collaborative breakthroughs.
The alumni economy is now playing a long-term role in empowering industries. Currently, Chengdu is focusing on expanding its two trillion-yuan industries—electronic information and equipment manufacturing—as well as over ten hundred-billion-yuan industries, including biomedicine, rail transit, aerospace, and green low-carbon sectors. As the historic birthplace of the Jiaozi, Chengdu's fintech sector is growing rapidly, with its comprehensive financial competitiveness ranking among the top globally.
A symposium provided a platform for the Chengdu Municipal Financial Office to introduce the city's core advantages in industry and finance. This includes the implementation of implementation opinions on optimizing financial services for industrial development to improve the industrial financial support system, as well as plans to formulate a lifecycle cultivation and empowerment policy for corporate listings, ensuring protection for entities and tech startups landing in the city. A representative from Fudan University's School of International Finance stated on-site that they would leverage their global alumni network resources to precisely align scientific innovation results, talent resources, and industrial capital with Chengdu's development needs. This aims to achieve a two-way empowerment and mutually beneficial outcome for the university and the city.
Sources indicate this matchmaking event is a strategic move by Chengdu to deepen the alumni economy and use alumni resources to boost urban industrial upgrades. An official from the Chengdu Financial Office explained that the core value of the alumni economy is to precisely link the scientific, talent, and industrial assets of university alumni with local development demands. This initiative is not a one-off occurrence but part of a regular, long-term industrial empowerment scheme. At the event, participating companies and institutions exchanged ideas on supply chain collaboration, investment and financing matchmaking, and project implementation support, ultimately reaching several preliminary cooperation intentions.